For the week ending 18th July, there were some difficult choices, with the First Test at Trent Bridge, Championship and the two major T20 tourneys in full swing. Marcus Trescothick struck another first-class century but his T20 woes continued. Good on him for adding wicketkeeping duties to everything else given Kieswetter's nasty facial injury. Will Tavare of Gloucestershire's first innings 135 was balanced by a duck so my openers are Murali Vijay and Chris Gayle. The former showed Alastair Cook how to build an innings while Gayle was in fine form for Jamaica, including a 63-ball 111 against St Lucia.
Joe Root's ability to score heavily in Tests was demonstrated once more, keeping out teenagers Sam Hain (109* for Warwickshire) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (99 for Worcestershire). Essex team-mates Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder were also extremely consistent. The former England Test batsman top-scored in each Essex innnigs in the win againast Hampshire, then made useful T20 runs. Ryder also enjoyed a good all-round Championship match before combining a five-for and half-century in the two biff-bang fixtures.
Gloucestershire's Will Gidman aggregated 164 runs against Derbyshire and also bowled tidily to earn a spot as my number six, just ahead of Tom Smith, who added another six to his impressive wicket tally for Lancashire. Top 'keeper is Alex Wheater who produced a 107 in adversity for Hampshire.
Luke Gregory stepped up to the plate magnificently for Somerset. His 6-47 helped create a healthy first innings lead against Northants then, with te bottom side threatening to create an upset, who delivered another five-for. Bhuvneshwar Kumar simply has to hold down the number nine spot, scoring a pair of 50s and taking 5-82 for India. Jimmy Anderson may have won the Man of the Match award but for me his bowling wasn't good enough to make my team of the week. Instead I've finished off with two spinners. Jeetan Patel claimed 7-77 in total in Warwickshire's defeat of Durham, followed by 4-19 in the T20 versus Yorkshire.
To end with, Saeed Ajmal has signed off his fabulous spell with Worcestershire with seven more wickets and 73 runs. Where on earth is the county going to get the necessary wickets without him? At least his departure means a space for someone else in my celebratory Elevens!
My team: Vijay (Ind), Gayle (Jam), Root (Eng), Bopara (Ess), Ryder (Ess), Gidman (Glo), Wheater (+, Ham), Gregory (Som), Kumar (Ind), Patel (War), Ajmal (Wor)
